Obituary of Dr. Eilish Cleary

Eilish Cleary, 60, of Penniac, New Brunswick, died in Fredericton of ovarian cancer on March 22, 2024, surrounded by family. 

Eilish was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1963 to John and Mary Cleary. She had four siblings, Brid, Kevin, Fiona, and Siobhan. At the age of 22, Eilish became the youngest doctor in Ireland at the time. She then spent much of her life working in Canada, where she moved with her immediate family in 1998. Eilish believed deeply in access to healthcare for all and worked throughout her entire life to ensure that this was available.

With Gerard Beirne, Eilish had four children, James, Luke, Sorcha, and Cormac, who she loved dearly. She enjoyed travel, and shared this love with her children at early ages. In 1998, the family moved to Northern Manitoba and lived in Norway House Cree Nation, where she worked at the hospital. Though this move was planned to be temporary, she found another job in Manitoba, which became the family’s home for many years. Eventually, Eilish moved with her family to New Brunswick, where she rose to the position of Chief Medical Officer of Health.

Eilish met Paul Meyer in New Brunswick and found that they shared a passion for travel and adventurous water sports. They bought a house together in Penniac and worked on the property extensively, building a bunkhouse and walking trails through the woods behind it. In subsequent years, they explored the property regularly, walking its wooded hills for hours at a time. Nestled in the backwoods, Eilish loved this cozy home until her final days. As per her wishes, her ashes will be brought home to Ireland.

A visitation will be held at McAdam’s Funeral Home on Sunday, March 24, 2024 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, March 25, 2024 at 11:00 am at St. Dunstan’s Catholic Church. For those unable to attend the service, a livestream is available at the following link: https://vimeo.com/event/4182101 Eilish will be buried with her mum in the family plot in Crosskeys, County Cavan, Ireland, at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, it would be appreciated if individuals donate to a local charity of their choice, such as 12 Neighbours Community, Greener Village, or the Hospice House.

Eilish Cleary’s memory will live on in all of those who knew and loved her.